"Different trees offering fruit, flower and nectar form part of the plantation we have taken up. Artificial nesting, sparrow huts and bird baths are being set up too" said P. Mallikarjuna Rao, Director of State Zoos

Hardly any flutter of wings and very little of chirping.

As the city turns into a concrete jungle, the change has been eating into the natural habitat and environs of the winged species.

Amid concerns over the dwindling of bird species in the urban milieu, the Nehru Zoological Park has decided to set up a bird conservation park at its premises and the work has just begun on the initiative. The zoo, spread over 380 acres, has come up with the concept to not only conserve different bird species but also to showcase ways the citizens can adopt at their own dwellings to help the return of birds.

“The concretisation of the city has taken a heavy toll on the birds and they have started to disappear. Our idea is to be able to spread awareness and propagate small measures which bird lovers can adopt at their homes to have birds coming back,” says P. Mallikarjuna Rao, Director of State Zoos.

For the bird conservation park, a four-acre site close to the entrance has been identified and fencing of it is nearing completion. The zoo authorities have started setting up different plant species such as ficus and others, including jamun, papaya, guava and pomegranate, in the earmarked area.

More trees

“Different trees offering fruit, flower and nectar form part of the plantation we have taken up. Artificial nesting, sparrow huts and bird baths are being set up too,” says Mr. Rao. Display boards with information related to birds and their relation with trees, insects and environment are to be put up. Best of the conservation practice that can be adopted by interested individuals at their homes will be showcased at the park. The project is expected to be ready by September.

Slideshow

Traffic got disrupted and main thoroughfares turned into canals due to a sudden unseasonal downpour in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon. The Hindu lensman Mohammed Yousuf captures the travails of commuters.